Why San Diego will see more bikes

If you look good in spandex, you’re in luck. More bike-sharing companies are entering the San Diego market. And these newcomers boast how their bikes are dockless, meaning you don’t have to pedal to a home-base when you’re done. A public bike rack will do just fine.

However, in other cities, riders have chosen less appropriate parking spaces, such as inside memorials in Washington, D.C., and in parks in Seattle.

So we are pedaling into the unknown a bit here …

The two new companies, LimeBike and ofo, will join DecoBike as the city’s bike-sharing options. DecoBike is an older version, requiring docking stations. When you’re done, you need to find one to park the bike. In 2013, DecoBike entered into a 10-year agreement with the city of San Diego to run the program.

Initially, there was a question if that deal prevented any competitors, but the city attorney recently ruled it did not. Bike enthusiasts and city officials applaud the decision, saying it may help increase biking.

“The City of San Diego welcomes the addition of more transportation choices that encourage residents to get out of their cars,” said Katie Keach, director of the city’s communications department. “More options lead to fewer vehicle miles and less pollution in line with the goals of the city’s landmark Climate Action Plan.”

LimeBike will also offer alternatives to traditional bikes. It boasts both a electric motor bike and scooter. Both can go as fast as 15 mph and can help riders better tackle San Diego’s hilly terrain.

“These launches transition LimeBike from a smart bikeshare company to a smart mobility solution provider,” said Emma Green, a spokeswoman for the company.

LimeBike worked with local bike organizations such as the San Diego County Bike Coalition, to get going locally.

“The technology advances of dockless do allow for greater flexibility and convenience and they are more affordably priced,” said Andy Henshaw, the executive director of the local bike group.

Colin Parent, executive director and general counsel of Circulate San Diego, agreed: “The more choices for transportation the better. Dockless bike companies like LimeBike and ofo both offer an extra layer of affordability and access for anyone who wants to ride a bicycle.”

The dockless bikes are simple to access. You download an app onto your smartphone, which can tell you where bikes are located. You use your phone to unlock it. And off you go. When you’re done, you park it and re-activate the lock.

LimeBike has been in use in National City and Imperial Beach for the past year. It costs one dollar for every 30 minutes of use. In Imperial Beach, as other cities, residents have complained about where the bikes sometimes end up, such as in the middle of sidewalks and in front of businesses. Somebody threw one off the pier and into the ocean, according to NBC-7.

The bike sharing companies can track the bikes’ last users and lcoations and cut off riders who don’t abide by the rules, they say. They pick up bikes in inappropriate locations and move them.

However, some cities have complained that many kinks need to be worked out. In Dallas, a number of dockless bike companies entered the market, which caused a bike glut. According to the website, Motherboard, the situation is getting out-of-hand:

“Bikes are everywhere — in trees, tossed into Trinity River, piled up in random people’s yards. Someone cut one in half and bolted it to a telephone pole…” Indeed, there’s even an Instagram page dedicated to the bike madness, called Dallas Bike Mess, the website noted.

In San Diego, the demand for bike sharing has been sketchy, at best. DecoBike, which charges $5 for a half hour of use, has not gained the ridership it had hoped and removed a number of docking stations from the beach areas last year. Community leaders complained they were taking up precious space and hurting traditional bike rental shops.

On Yelp, many people complain of the service. One reviewer wrote:

“The bike did not release on the first try, nor on the 2nd try, gave up re-entering everything on the 3rd try. Heavy bikes with crappy brakes. Too expensive also, probably why they stay in stations instead of being rented in mass. Guess America's Finest did not choose Finest Bike Sharing program. A shame.”

And this: “First bike stand: screen won't turn on. Second bike stand: it will take my credit card but won't release any bikes. Third bike stand: releases a bike with broken gears and dangerously terrible brakes. Yeah, I'm not going to Decobike anymore.”

San Diego recently entered into a deal with Discover Card to upgrade DecoBike to offer more stations and improve service. The stations are being added to denser neighborhoods, where biking is a more appealing option.